RateBeer
Score
9194
OVERALLStyle
Brewed by Williams Brothers (Heather Ales)
Style: Traditional Ale
Alloa, Scotland

bottled
common

on tap
available

Broad Distribution

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RATINGS: 800   WEIGHTED AVG: 3.45   EST. CALORIES: 195   ABV: 6.5%
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COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Bottled. A cask version at 5.8% is produced in October and November.
"Elderberry Black Ale"
Introduced to Scotland by Welsh druids in the 9th Century, elderberry black ale was part of the Celtic Autumn festivals when the "elders" would make this strong ale and pass the drink round the people of the village. The recipe was taken from a 16th Century record of domestic drinking in the Scottish Highlands. Elderberries were used for many natural remedies to cure sciatica, other forms of neuralgia, influenza and rhumatism as they contain tannins and fruit oils.
Ebulum is made from roasted oats, barley and wheat boiled with herbs then fermented with ripe elderberries.
A rich black ale with fruit aroma, silky soft texture,soft roasted flavour and gentle finish.
Recommended with stewed and baked foods.
Drink lightly chilled from a straight glass.


most recent ratings

2.7
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 5/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 10/20
Christian (9697) - Odense, DENMARK - JAN 28, 2013
Januar bonus @Sørens. Dark ruby brown with a small off-white head. Aroma of caramel, chocolate, dried, dark fruit and elderberry. Sweetish caramel and elderberry flavour.

3.7
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
vmilaxer29 (365) - New York, USA - JAN 26, 2013
This was a fantastic beer. I thought the taste of elderberries was wonderful and it gave it a little bit of a smoky flavor added with that of the roast. Thoroughly enjoyable.

3.5
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 14/20
jamestulloch (478) - Edinburgh, SCOTLAND - JAN 18, 2013
Aroma: Chocolate, liquorice, prune and light smoke.

Appearance: Black body with ruby highlights. Thick tan head that fades quickly. Almost no lacing.

Taste: Rich stone fruit with a deep chocolatey taste. Slow-building bitterness. Drinks smoothly for its 6.5% ABV.

Palate: Thin body with an oily mouthfeel. Very soft carbonation.

Overall: A nice Porter-like beer.

3.5
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 14/20
Viper666 (2708) - Saint-Hubert, Quebec, CANADA - JAN 16, 2013
Bouteille 330ml. De couleur noire et opaque. Nez fruité aux notes sûres (mûres, sureau? notes de cassis et de raisins), de grains de céréales rôties avec des notes de chocolat noir. Rondeur moyenne en bouche avec un pétillement moyen-doux et une texture aux notes crémeuses. Goût fruité sucré, légèrement sûr et aux petites notes acides (mûres, très léger de raisins, notes de cassis - et du sureau j’imagine) lors de l’entrée en bouche suivi d’un moyen de grains de céréales rôties avec de faibles notes de chocolat noir ainsi que des traces de pain grillé et de café puis en finale l’on retrouve des petites notes de houblon herbeux. Post-goût moyen, composé d’un goût fruité aux petites traces acides (petits fruits foncés) avec des notes rôties et de houblon herbeux.

3.5
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 14/20
luttonm (1631) - Belgrade, SERBIA - JAN 14, 2013
Bottle at SBT. One of the nice surprises of the night, thanks for bringing it Matt. Dark roasty brown, sweet doppelbock aroma. very nice, banana, chocolate, some caramel malts. Nice sweet roast, well balanced. Very nice.

3.4
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 14/20
bunget (319) - Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA - JAN 13, 2013
330ml bottle. A dark brown body, smallish mocha head, not a lot of retention either. Aroma of roasted malt, molasses, toffee and smoked prunes. Taste: roasted malt, coffee, brown sugar, some fruitiness. A tickling sensation on the tongue and gums in the aftertaste.

3.7
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
trevor211 (1187) - Seattle, Washington, USA - JAN 8, 2013
Black pour, with a small light tan head. Aroma has some sweet dark fruits offsetting dark roasted malts. A bit more sweetness in the aroma, along with a slightly meaty note, too. Great balance, and full flavor -- this is actually quite impressive. Maybe even like a slightly dilute quad.

3.9
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
jrodooo5 (500) - Wilmington, Delaware, USA - JAN 6, 2013
The pour is very dark with a thin white head that doesn’t leave lacing. The aroma is rather roasty and really draws you in. The taste doesn’t disappoint! I was stunningly surprised by this one not really knowing what to expect from an elderberry ale. This is more along the line of light, drinkable, and complex stout. It seems like something DFH would put out and that’s certainly a compliment! Awesome!

3.1
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 13/20
GothGargoyle (572) - Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA - DEC 30, 2012
Brown/black with a small pale head. Aroma is dates, dark fruit, grape skins. Medium bodied, well balanced on the palate, slightly astringent finish. Taste is dates, black tea.

3.8
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 16/20
Patrickctenchi (1700) - columbus, Indiana, USA - DEC 23, 2012
Bottle: Deep, semi-transparent brown, purplish cast with a tan head. Scent is mild elderberries, a little smoky. Taste is sweet, malt, berry...again a hint of smoke. Porter-like with a fruit sweetness. Delicious.


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